


The Legend of Yin

by silvermax



Category: Avatar: Legend of Korra
Genre: Action/Adventure, Angst with a Happy Ending, Future Fic, Lesbian Character, Tagging as I go, canon divergence I guess
Language: English
Status: In-Progress
Published: 2020-05-18
Updated: 2020-10-04
Packaged: 2021-03-02 17:55:02
Rating: Teen And Up Audiences
Warnings: Major Character Death
Chapters: 7
Words: 10,375
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/24210958
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/silvermax/pseuds/silvermax
Summary: The Avatar's new incarnation is a young girl from the far reaches of the Earth Kingdom named Yin. At sixteen, she craves adventure and a taste of the real world. But is she ready for it?*This takes place in the Avatar world's version of the late 70s/early to mid 80s.*
Relationships: Korra/Asami Sato
Comments: 15
Kudos: 14





	1. Prologue

**Author's Note:**

> Okay, first chapter's up! Let me know what you guys think, and I'll post as I come up with the story.

Korra lived a good life, of diligence and service to the world. She had a family of her own who never failed to make her happy. But in the back of her mind, she was always aware that the poison had taken some years off of her lifespan. As much as she hated it, she knew that her past would literally kill her one day. And finally, one night, she passed away in her sleep at the age of seventy-five, her wife by her side.

Asami knew there would be another incarnation of her, but that didn't make it hurt any less. Nobody would be able to replace her. Her fierce loyalty, her strong sense of duty, her determination. Everything that made her distinctly Korra. Still, it didn't stop her from asking to accompany the members of the White Lotus when they found the new Avatar. Then maybe, just maybe, she could see some of Korra again.

"I want to go, too," said their daughter Yasuko. At forty years old, she was driven, like Korra. If she put her mind to something, there was no stopping her. "You know, maybe it'll be like seeing Mom again."

They searched far and wide over the next few years. There were many false claims and dead ends. For a while, it seemed like all hope was lost. But rumors abounded, of a little girl in a small coastal town who could bend earth _and_ water. Somewhat skeptical but still holding out hope, they ventured out to the peninsula at the edge of the Earth Kingdom.

Fa was sitting on the couch and watching television with her two little girls, Yin and Bo, when she heard a knock on the door. They rarely got visitors. What was _this_ about? So, holding Bo, she got up to answer it and gasped. "O-oh! You must be here about my daughter! Please, come in!"

Everyone walked in to see the little girl curled up on the couch. She had round red cheeks, messy black hair, and wide green eyes. The side of her mouth still had a few crumbs on it. Asami smiled. The new Avatar was _adorable._

"Hello there," said one of the White Lotus members, squatting down to meet her eyes. "What's your name?"

The girl just curled further in on herself, not wanting to talk to the strange man. "Her name's Yin," said Fa. "She's shy."

She was presented with an array of objects. When asked to pick some, she pointed to Roku's headpiece, Aang's glider. She didn't know what it was that drew her to those things, but something about them felt warm and familiar.

She was surrounded by strangers, but the old lady with the green eyes felt warm and familiar, too. As they sat together, she leaned into her. Her smell, soft and floral, was comforting. "You smell nice."

Asami patted the girl's head. "Thanks." She could feel herself starting to tear up a little.

Fa was informed that there was a lot of work to do now. "I'd really like her to have a normal life," she said.

"Oh, of course. We can figure something out."

That night, as she looked at her sleeping older daughter, she shook her head and chuckled to herself. _Never thought I'd be in this situation._


	2. Leaving

"Hey! Wait for me!" Yin laughed as she tried to keep up with her little sister.

Bo turned around and stuck her tongue out. "Try and catch me!"

"Why, you....." She brought up some water from the sea and splashed her.

Soaking wet, she stopped in her tracks. " _Hey_!"

Both girls laughed. Yin ran up to her sister, and they both sat at the edge of the pier. The sunlight glittered on the sea. There wasn't a cloud in the sky today. One might say the day was perfect.

By this point, the girls were sixteen and twelve. Yin, being the Avatar, tended to travel a lot, sometimes with her family, sometimes not. It wasn't uncommon for her to get pulled out of school for obligations. She'd made quite a few friends this way. She and her sister were growing older, so they were spending less and less time together, but they enjoyed the moments like these, when they could both just be regular kids.

"Do you ever want to get out of here?" asked Bo. "Like, out of this town?"

"Well.... _sometimes._ But everybody I know and love is here. And besides, I've _been_ out of here before, but I still like it better here."

"Oh, right. You were doing cool Avatar stuff." She rolled her eyes.

"Sorry, Bo, I wasn't trying to brag."

"No, no, I'm not offended. It's just.... you like traveling, yeah?"

"Yeah, I love it."

"Wouldn't you rather live in those places you get to go? I mean...." She gestured to the entire landscape. "This place is kind of a dump, if you ask me."

"It's not a _dump_."

"Yes, it is. Look." She pointed to a wadded-up piece of paper floating in the sea just a few feet in front of them. "This water is _disgusting._ "

Yin sighed. That part was true. It wasn't exactly the water one would swim in. "Yeah, _that_ part is true, but..."

"You were four before we got _TV._ " She sighed. "Whatever, do what you want. But _I'd_ like to get out of here."

For a while, they didn't say anything. Yin thought of what it would be like to live somewhere else. Maybe Republic City, or the South Pole. Republic City was big and easy to get overwhelmed by, with all its sights and sounds. But it also had Asami and Yasuko, and three of her friends. She smiled at the thought of seeing them all again. Perhaps she could live in the city, in a quieter part. But still, she'd miss everything that made Xiaolan home....

"Oh, and I almost forgot, the White Lotus has been getting on your ass about learning firebending these days, right? Maybe if we leave here, we could find you a better instructor...."

She bristled at being reminded of that. They'd all made sure to remind her the importance of learning the elements in the proper order, and that she wasn't spiritually mature enough to continue with waterbending just yet. But the idea of firebending had always seemed daunting to her. "Can we not talk about that?"

"Sorry."

As the weeks wore on, though, Yin was thinking about that a lot. She couldn't stay in this town forever. She was the Avatar! How could she help the world while staying in one place? And there were so many things she'd been wanting to do for a while. One of them was finding her absent father.

She only had a few memories of him, how he always smelled like the sea and had rough hands. Her mother had only ever referred to him as "that fucker" and refused to talk about him in detail. He had to be out there somewhere. And who knew, maybe he wanted to be a part of the girls' lives again.

It was now summer. She and Bo were talking more in detail about leaving now and what they'd do, where they'd go. Then, one evening at dinner, they decided to bring it up with their mother. "I think I ought to get out, see the world," said Yin.

Fa sighed. Part of her had known this was coming. She _was_ the Avatar, after all. But still, it was hard to believe that she was growing up this fast. She could remember when Yin was tiny. When they were out walking and it was cold, she'd put the girl in the baggy part of her jacket. So much had changed since then. But one thing remained the same: her instinct to keep her children safe. "Well...."

"Oh, come on, Mom, it'll be fine," said Bo. "We can handle ourselves. And this may be good for us! We'll get a taste of the outside world, maybe even find Dad...."

At the mention of her ex, she bristled. "I get why you'd want to find him, but he wasn't exactly a.... good person." She shook her head, not wanting to think about it. "Look, I trust that you two can handle yourselves. But before you do anything, I need to talk this over with the White Lotus." She was aware that there had many threats on Yin's life over the years.

A week later, a plan was drawn up. The girls would spend their summer first in Republic City, then in the Fire Nation. The adults involved came to an agreement that Yin and Bo could leave the country by themselves, but while they were in Republic City, they would be under the auspices of the Sato family. And once they were in the Fire Nation, they'd be in the care of the royal family. "We will do everything in our power to make sure the girls are safe," said Taima, one of the White Lotus members.

Fa nodded. "Thank you so much. I appreciate it."

The day before they were to leave, Yin went for a walk. A lot was on her mind, and this was the perfect way to clear her head, just wandering. Tape player in hand and headphones over her ears, she walked, with no destination in particular. Passing the pier and the mucky water, she saw a few men fishing. It seemed like those particular three were always there. One of them saw her and waved, and she waved back.

The breezy guitar of the song she was listening to seemed to surround her. It was a love song. Love was yet another thing she hadn't experienced for herself. She looked around at everything, the houses, the shops. Everything had so many memories. Learning to ride a bike. Playing in the woods. Watching Bo practice her earthbending. Running around town with her sister. The pair had become quite infamous, and the adults would laugh and shake their heads as they watched them pass by.

This summer would be the longest she'd been away from here. She couldn't believe it. _Maybe I'll learn some new things in my time away._

She knew she had to learn firebending at some point. But it seemed so intimidating and scary, with its brute force and direct attacks. Water was much, much easier. Yasuko had taught her that waterbending was about using the flow of energy, turning defense into offense. She didn't think she had it in her to give direct blows. That was more Bo's style, she thought.

When she finally made her way home, the sun was starting to set. Through the window, she could see Bo, watching a music video on TV. The younger girl seemed content as ever. She smiled, took her shoes off, and walked inside. _Everything's going to be fine,_ she told herself. 


	3. Back In The City

The Sato family's penthouse was elegant and beautiful, with lots of rooms. When they walked in, Asami was sitting on the couch reading. She was, even at ninety-one, a picture of health. Getting up and walking towards them, she said, "It's about time. I missed you girls." Yin's badgermole, Shu, trailed after them, and she smiled and scratched the creature behind the ear. "I missed you, too, big guy."

"How'd you get him on the plane?" asked Yasuko.

"It is a _long_ story," was Yin's response.

That afternoon, Yin wanted to catch up with a friend, and Bo wanted to go with her. Yasuko was a bit uneasy about letting them go by themselves. "We're just going to Air Temple Island," said Bo. "We'll be _fine_."

"Still, though, let me go with you. Just to be safe." She gave them a small smile. "Besides, it would be nice to see Jinora again."

After they set foot on the island, not a minute passed before they were greeted with an excited whirlwind and a high-pitched squeal. "Yin!"

Yin laughed as the girl hugged her. "Hey, Maya. Long time, no see."

"I _know_ , right? Come inside! We've got a lot to talk about. And Mom and Dad made a _lot_ of food."

Jinora walked outside, laughing at her granddaughter's excited energy. "Hello, Yasuko. I see my granddaughter's noticed you first?"

"Yes." She looked over at the girls. "Look at how much Maya's grown. The last time I saw her, she was a little girl."

"I know. Sometimes, I have trouble believing it myself."

They sat inside, eating and talking. "So," said Maya in between bites of a fruit pie. "You got your eye on anybody?"

"No."

"You sure?"

"Yeah. I'm sure."

"The boys in our hometown aren't much to look at, trust me," said Bo.

"Well, maybe you'll meet some cute guys out here," said Maya.

They ended up staying for a few hours, eating more food and watching Maya's older siblings train. Yin noticed that the young airbenders had different styles. Gyatso was very fast while Pema was slower and more methodical.

"You know," said Maya. "Maybe we should go out tonight, the three of us."

"What are we going to do?"

"There's a pro-bending match at eight. In the time before it starts, we could go to the arcade."

"Which teams are playing?"

"It's the Rabaroos versus the Prickle Snakes."

"Prickle Snakes. Never heard of them."

"Yeah, they're a new team."

"This should be interesting," said Bo.

The arcade was a pretty good embodiment of the rest of Republic City, with its bright colors and discordant sounds. It was a place Maya would feel perfectly at home in. She was eager to show the sisters all the different games, from pinball machines to games with brightly colored, pixelated images. "This is a new one," she said when they stopped at a game with a maze crossing the screen. "It's called Gobbler."

"So, how does it work?" asked Yin.

"See this little round thing? You have to get it to eat as many pellets as possible without running into one of those things." She pointed to what looked like a little boarcupine. "Want to try it?"

"Um... okay." 

She'd never been particularly good at arcade games, but this one was actually pretty easy for her. It was just a matter of being careful and precise, figuring out how the boarcupines moved and using it to her advantage. But after three rounds, she decided her remaining coins were better spent elsewhere. "I'm going to find something else to do."

"Okay, see ya!"

As she was walking around, she heard a voice. "Hey. Girl in the green shirt?"

She turned around. The speaker was a short boy with a twitchy little nose like a rabbit's. His hair was black and his eyes were the color of honey. "Yeah?"

"I saw you back there. You were really good."

"Thanks."

"Do you play that game a lot?"

"No, actually, that was my first time."

"Wow! You learn fast, then." He chuckled. "I'm Jian. What's your name?"

"Yin." After a bit, she asked, "So... what do you like to do?"

"When I have free time, I like coming here, playing a few games. It helps me unwind." He looked up. "Got a big night tonight."

"What are you doing tonight?"

"I'm on a pro-bending team, and... it's our first big match."

"Oh! You're on that _new_ team!"

He blushed a little. "Yeah."

"My friends and I are going to the match tonight."

" _Wow._ Um..."

"Well, if we want to get good seats, we should leave now, I think." She turned to leave. "Nice meeting you, Jian. And good luck."

"Thank you."

The girls walked back from the match, happy and tired. For the first part of the match, they hadn't been doing too well, all three of them getting knocked in the water in the first round. But the Prickle Snakes had won, much to everyone's surprise. While they were walking, it occurred to Yin. _Maybe Jian could teach me firebending!_

"Bye, guys!" said Maya. "Tonight was really fun!"

"Yeah."

"We should do more stuff like that!" She turned to leave. "Well, catch you later."

After she left, though, Yin and Bo noticed the police cars parked outside the building. They exchanged a confused look, then shrugged and kept walking. But when they walked into the penthouse, there were a few officers talking with Yasuko and Asami. And when she looked closer, Yin saw that there were shards on the floor.

Yasuko looked up. "Oh! I didn't realize you were back."

Yin's stomach churned. "Wh- what happened?"

She sighed. "Somebody broke in here while we were gone."

 _Shit._ "Are we- are we in danger?"

"Look, the truth is, we don't really know. But.... we're going to keep you guys safe, okay? You have nothing to worry about."

The woman rubbed her shoulder, but she was still very, very scared.


	4. Working Hard, Or Hardly Working

Fa was practically screaming over the phone. "So somebody tried to _kidnap_ my _daughter_ , and _nobody_ saw fit to _tell_ me?!"

"Ma'am, please stay calm," said President San. "We don't know _what_ it was yet. But...."

" _Calm_?! My kids could be in danger! Would _you_ be calm if it was _your_ kids?"

"I understand, Fa. But the girls are fine. And I want you to know that we consider this matter to be of _utmost_ importance."

She took a few deep breaths. "Th-thank you, I appreciate your effort. And you'll call me with any updates, right?"

"Of course."

As soon as she got off the phone, she held her head in her hands and sighed. The last few days had been very, _very_ scary. She knew full well by now that Yin faced a big risk. Once, when her older daughter was eight, they were at a gala when she saw an overturned, empty vial next to a plate of dumplings on a table. Frantically, she led the girls away from the table and asked if either of them had eaten anything from it. "No, Mom, why?"

"Oh, n-no reason."

She couldn't protect the girls forever, she _knew_ that. But ever since she and Jin ended things, they were all she had. The townspeople tended to avoid her. She didn't mind it much, but it got lonely sometimes. Not wishing to think about it, she stretched out on the couch. _Guess I better get used to this empty house._

* * *

Yin and her sister were staying on Air Temple Island now, with Jinora and her family. Nobody was sure of the exact circumstances, but they knew there had been a kidnap attempt, and whoever had done it knew that Yin was in the city. Everyone reassured her that she would be alright, but the whole thing still kept her up at night.

On their third night there, she got out of bed and started walking around. The hallways were quiet and dark. Careful not to wake anyone, she made her way outside. The air was cool and the night was clear, clear enough to see the stars. Looking past the rocky outcropping, she saw the bay stretching out before her, and the rest of the city.

"What are you doing up?"

She hadn't been expecting anyone to be out here, so it was a shock to hear a voice behind her. She turned around. "Oh! Jinora! I...."

The older woman smiled and walked up to her. "Something's on your mind, Yin. What is it?"

"Well..." She sighed. "I've just been thinking about that whole ordeal, and I.... I guess I'm worried that whoever tried to kidnap me will come _here_."

Jinora nodded. "I understand why you're afraid. But you can't control what happens. That is up to fate."

"I know, but...."

"So it's no use worrying about things that are beyond your control." She placed a hand on her shoulder. "You're a young girl with a heavy burden on you already. Naturally, you're upset that there's so much out of your control. But eventually, you will learn to conquer it." Smiling gently once again, she told her, "Get some sleep. You've got a lot ahead of you."

It took several days, but eventually, Yin felt safe enough to venture back into the city, even if it was just for a little while at a time. She'd have someone with her, of course, because it was uncertain where the kidnappers were currently. One particular afternoon, she was practicing blocks with Asami. "Come on, is that all you got?"

Yin could feel herself getting frustrated. "Apparently so!"

Asami sat down and rested her chin in her hands. "You know, you're not usually like this. What's the matter?"

"I don't know!" she shouted. Before she knew it, her breathing was getting rapid.

Seeing how fast Yin was breathing, she went over to her and put an arm around her. "Hey. Calm down. Everything will be alright."

She didn't respond to that. She could feel her face getting hot and her heart picking up speed. Then, all of a sudden, she started to cry.

Asami knew what was happening all too well, as she and her wife had both had these episodes. Gently, she guided the girl to sit down.

The words seemed to tumble out of her mouth, punctuated only by sobbing. "Somebody's out there to get me, and I don't know who it is, and I need to learn firebending, and....."

"It's going to be okay. Take a few deep breaths with me. In through your nose...." She demonstrated. "Out through your mouth."

It was difficult at first, but Yin managed to slow her breathing. And slowly, she could feel herself starting to calm down from her initial surge of fear and panic.

Asami placed an arm around her. The girl may have been the Avatar, but at the end of the day, she was still just a girl. While she couldn't know how it felt to have _that_ much responsibility at such a young age, she certainly remembered what it had been like to be sixteen. "It's alright. You don't have to do everything at once."

* * *

Yin was determined to learn firebending, somehow, some way. Remembering Jian from the pro-bending match, she set out to find him again. So she went to the arcade one afternoon, thinking that perhaps he'd be there. Because it had been a few weeks and the threat seemed to have subsided, she and her sister were (tentatively) allowed to go by themselves.

Knowing that he probably wouldn't show up for a while, Yin passed the time by playing a few rounds of Gobbler. She could just lose herself in the game, maneuvering the controllers and following the pattern.

Another kid asked to use the machine, so she walked off. Wandering among the brightly lit arcade, she tried searching for Jian. Out of the corner of her eye, she saw a boy with the same haircut. But, walking closer to him, she realized that he didn't have the same face, and he looked much, _much_ too young. _Why does every boy in Republic City have_ that _specific hairstyle?_

She'd been wandering for about an hour when her sister started to get annoyed. "Yin. Can we go?"

"I've gotta find him."

"Well, he's probably not here right now. We can find you a firebending instructor somewhere else. But I'm hungry and tired. Can we please just go?"

"No!" She hadn't intended to raise her voice. "I don't think you understand how _important_ this is to me. To the _world_!"

Bo just laughed. Yin could be such a drama queen sometimes. "Take a chill pill, girl. I'm sure it can wait." She put a hand on her shoulder. "Now come on. Let's get some donuts on the way back. I'm starving."

So, reluctantly, she followed her. The two stopped at their favorite donut shop and shared a box of the greasy, sugary treats. Yin was halfway through her first one when Bo reached for a third. "You'll spoil your dinner!"

"You sound like Mom. And I'm getting sick of tofu, anyways." She licked the sugar from the side of her mouth.

Yin just laughed and shook her head. When it came to food, this girl was _ruthless._

Utterly stuffed, the girls left the shop and kept walking. They knew that if they wanted to get back in time, they'd have to hurry up and catch the next ferry. As they were walking, Yin thought she saw Jian. _Probably shouldn't get my hopes up, though....._ Just to make sure, she called, "Jian!"

He stopped and turned his head. "Yin? Is that you?"

"Yeah." She scratched the back of her neck. "So..... how are things?"

"Good, good." A grin spread across his face. "Our team's been winning a lot more matches. At this rate, we might even go to the championships!"

"That's awesome! Congratulations!"

"Thanks," he chuckled. "Anyway, what's up with you?"

"A lot." She shifted a little. "I didn't tell you this when we met, but I'm the Avatar."

"Wait, really?"

"Yeah. It's.... not as great as it sounds, trust me." And she proceeded to explain what had happened.

He shook his head. "That's _crazy._ "

"I know." She sighed. "Anyway, I need to learn firebending, so I wanted to know if you'd be willing to teach me."

His eyes went wide. "You want _me_ to teach you?"

"Yeah."

"Well...." He chuckled a little. "I'll _try._ "

She felt a surge of relief. "Thank you so much!"

"N-no problem." He was still trying to get over the fact that he'd teach the _Avatar._ "So.... I guess you can meet me here during the day, and I'll teach you."

He ripped out a page from his notebook and wrote down an address, and she took it. "Thanks, man." She smiled. "Well, my sister and I need to be heading back or else everybody's going to freak out. But I'll see you."

"Yeah. See ya." And he watched her leave, still in disbelief.

* * *

A couple days later, Yin showed up at the apartment, a little worried. This could be a trap, for all she knew. And now she was cursing herself. What had she been thinking, telling him she was the Avatar? Stupid, stupid, _stupid_! Heart racing, she knocked on the door. _Please don't let this be a trap,_ please _don't let this be a trap...._

"Oh, hey, there, Yin!" She looked up. "Come in."

So she walked in, feeling just a bit less worried. "I'm really not sure if I'll be any good at teaching."

"Oh, I'm sure you'll do fine."

"Okay, I don't know how I did it that first time, but...." He tried to think. "I guess you have to just.... _think_ about making the flame, and then...." He let out a blast of fire.

"Okay." So she tried to imagine herself firebending, the flame shooting out of her fist. Then, with that image in mind, she stepped forward and punched. Nothing happened, so she tried it again. Still nothing. "What the hell? Why isn't it working?"

"I- I don't know."

"Well, how did _you_ learn it?"

"I didn't really _learn_ , I just.... did it."

She groaned. "I'm _never_ going to learn firebending at this rate."

"You will. Eventually. I'm just not a good teacher."

For a while, they didn't say anything else. She flopped down on the couch. "I don't really know you that well. How old are you?"

"Fifteen." He blushed a little. "Almost sixteen."

"Cool. I'm sixteen." After a bit, she asked, "About your team. How do you all know each other? How did you get that started?"

"Well, we're all friends from school. And last summer, we got the idea to start a team, so.... that's how the Prickle Snakes got started."

She chuckled at the name. "No offense, Jian, but _why_ did you think that was a cool name?"

"Because we're fast, but deadly." Now she was laughing for real. "Okay, so it wasn't our first choice. But the name doesn't matter because we're still pretty good."

"Yeah, you're so good, but you can't teach me firebending, huh?"

" _Hey_."

When she got back to Air Temple Island, Maya was the first to approach her. "So? How was firebending training? Got anything to show me?"

"Jian, apparently, doesn't know how he does it. He tried telling me to.... 'imagine' the flame, and then punch. Didn't work, in case you're wondering." She groaned and cupped her chin in her hand. "So I learned _nothing_."

"Oh, I'm sorry." After a bit, she said, "But he's cute. That's a plus, right?"

She rolled her eyes a little. She never really knew what Maya saw in boys. "He's alright-looking. But I'll admit, he's really nice and good to talk to."

That night at dinner, Asami and Yasuko were over, and Yin was happy to see them. But her mind was racing, so she wasn't as happy as she would normally have been. _Okay, so I don't have a firebending teacher. I'm still exactly where I started. I'm stuck in a rut and I don't know what to do!_

"Yin?" She looked up to see Yasuko. "You okay?"

"Yeah, yeah, I'm fine."

She tilted her head a little. "Something on your mind?"

"Nope."

Before Yasuko could ask another question, Maya's voice pierced through. "Yin! You have to try this! It's really good!"

She turned around to see her holding out a bit of what looked like a pastry. While she wasn't sure what was so great about it, she knew her friend had had issues with eating in the past, so she was glad to see her enthusiasm about food. "Okay, sure."

Taking it and eating it, she was surprised at how.... _fluffy_ it was. _Like biting into a cloud,_ she thought. "Wow. It _is_ good."

After dinner, she managed to sneak off to her room. She changed into her pajamas, figuring she'd be able to concentrate better if she was in something more comfortable. Then, sitting on her bed, she thought, _Okay, so I'm the Avatar. If I'm stuck in a rut and need some guidance...._

She was alone, in a dark and quiet space. Perfect for meditating. So she shut her eyes, took several deep breaths, and made an effort to clear her mind. Concentrating only on her breathing, as she had been taught.

It was a matter of time before she found herself in the Spirit World. She'd been here before. For the most part, it was a pretty soft place, with no hard edges, and it was almost dreamlike. Her surroundings were colorful, from the sky to each otherworldly plant. She remembered the first time she found herself here, at age four. It was just as mesmerizing then as it was now.

Wandering around, she tried to get her bearings. _I need to find Avatar Korra. She'll help me with this._

Not finding anything, she sat on the ground, frustrated. She was starting to get a bit annoyed with herself for not thinking this through. _What did I expect, anyways?_

Just then, she heard a voice. "Yin?"

Looking up, she saw a woman with white hair and blue eyes. "Avatar Korra!"

"I figured you'd be here." She cracked a small smile. "Come on. I've got some things to show you."

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Note: President San is Bolin's son!
> 
> Well, hope you enjoyed! I start school not long from now, so I may not be able to update for a while.
> 
> On a sidenote, LOK comes out on Netflix in my country in a couple weeks and I'm REALLY excited for the rewatch!


	5. Visions of the Past

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Title taken from "Mikis" by Koda.

The two walked, side-by-side. The surroundings started to change all of a sudden. The sky was darker, the trees bare. "What just happened?" asked Yin.

"The spirit world reflects your internal state." She turned to her. "Is there something you're worried about?"

"Yes, actually, that's why I'm here." She cleared her throat. "So, somebody- or maybe it was multiple people, I don't know- tried to kidnap me a while ago. And.... I'm worried that if they come back, I won't be able to defend myself. I mean, my waterbending could use some work, but the White Lotus doesn't want me continuing with it because I'm not 'ready'. And.... I can't firebend, because not only do I not have a teacher, but...." She sighed. "I guess I'm.... scared?"

"Of fire?"

"Yeah."

Korra tried to think of what to say next. She couldn't exactly relate to being scared of firebending. In fact, it had come almost ridiculously easy to her. But she _did_ remember having trouble with an element, not out of fear, but out of impatience. "Well, I get why. You're very cautious." She chuckled a little. "I wish _I_ was a little more cautious when I was young."

"Well.... what _were_ you like back then?"

"I was _always_ itching for an adventure." She smiled at the memory. "Which is why I _wasn't_ too happy about being cooped up."

Suddenly, the environment of the spirit world melted away. The ground was covered in snow. "The South Pole!"

"Exactly."

They both watched a younger Korra in training gear, mercilessly pummeling her firebending instructor. Yin marveled at how direct she was. She could never do that. "Wow, you were _ruthless_!"

"Back then, I thought I was invincible. But nobody is, really. It's a shame I didn't learn this until...." They saw the beige mask and black robe that belonged to none other than Amon himself. He had Korra pinned down, poised to take her bending for good. But he didn't, promising to "destroy" her later.

"But you beat him, right?"

"Not without help." Yin saw people she recognized. Mako. She'd met him at various events she'd had to attend as the Avatar. The previous year, she'd gone to Ba Sing Se to say her goodbyes, with all the trappings of a royal funeral. Asami, of course. Bolin. She'd first met him when she was little, and at first, she was nervous around him, but he pulled faces at her that first day, and she just had to laugh. And the late prince (eventually Fire Lord) Iroh. She wasn't born when he was Fire Lord, so she'd only ever seen _him_ in pictures.

Then she saw Amon with his thumb between Korra's eyebrows! _No._ "He did not!"

"He did. He took my bending." She sighed. "I thought I was done for after that."

"But you weren't."

She smiled. "You're right. I wasn't." Just then, they both saw her airbend. "I hadn't been able to do it before, but I'll tell you this from experience, Yin: the only limit is in your mind."

 _The only limit is in my mind._ "Got it. So _that's_ why I can't firebend."

"Not _yet._ Remember that, kiddo." There was her little half-smile again.

This world was starting to melt away. "I guess I'm waking up now," said Yin.

"Hey. I'm always here if you need any help." She chuckled. "Or if you just want to talk. That's fine, too."

And just then, she was back in the dark room. "Hey." She turned to see Maya. "You kind of checked out for a while."

"You'll never believe what I just did," she whispered back.

"What was it?"

"I was in the Spirit World, and I talked with Avatar Korra." She just couldn't contain her smile. "She showed me some of her memories."

"No way!" She sighed happily. "Man, being the Avatar sounds really cool. You get to go straight to the Spirit World from your _bed,_ meet the past avatars.... can we trade places?"

Yin giggled. "Would if I could."

* * *

"You were _that_ close to capturing the Avatar," said Ayane, her voice smooth like syrup.

Hachiro sighed. "Yes."

"And yet you did not."

That was true, too. "Yes."

Ayane smoothed her fashionably curled hair with a hand and smirked a bit. "So you failed."

"Ma'am...."

"You had _one_ task, and you failed it."

"Ma'am, I'm sorry. She wasn't there at the time, and before I could do anything, these two women....."

" _No_ excuses."

He bowed his head. "Yes, I failed. My apologies, ma'am."

She tilted her head. "Oh, very well, then. I'll give you one last chance to try again. But do _not_ fail this time." Her voice became severe at the last sentence.

"Yes, ma'am."

* * *

In the weeks that followed, Yin started to spend more time with Jian, and she got to know his friends and teammates. Nula, the waterbender. Even though she was Yin's age, she was a good two heads taller than her, and quite strong, too. "She's our secret weapon," said Jian sheepishly.

"Yeah, if it wasn't for me, they wouldn't have even made it past qualifiers."

"Hey, I get _some_ of the credit," said their third member, Rong. "If it wasn't for _me_ last night, we wouldn't have made it into the championships!"

Everyone laughed. Yin liked how they joked around with each other. And both inside and outside the ring, they worked great together.

One night, a few days before she was to leave for the Fire Nation, Nula invited them all to her place for a little get-together. "We've got a lot to celebrate," she said. "Yin's going to the Fire Nation, where she'll probably learn to firebend. _And_ we'll go to the championships soon!"

So they met up, talked, had a few drinks when Nula's parents were upstairs. Yin, not being used to alcohol, was drunk very quickly. Feeling warm and sleepy, she curled up on the couch.

Hachiro knew most people in Republic City kept their windows open on hot nights like these. _And_ it was late enough for people to be asleep. He'd followed Yin down this street, but he'd waited for the right moment. So, climbing in through the window, he saw the girl splayed out on the couch, sound asleep. She was alone, too. Perfect.

He scooped her up, gently, so as not to wake her, then climbed down. Walking on the sidewalk, he carried her, knowing he finally had what Ayane was looking for. If anybody saw him at this hour, they wouldn't think anything was wrong. They'd just see a father carrying his child and think nothing of it.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Might edit later, IDK. It's late.


	6. Search and Rescue

Nula was in the kitchen, making her favorite lazy meal, instant noodles. All she had to do was add water and whatever toppings she preferred. This time around, she put dried seaweed and kimchi in hers. In a few minutes, the Top 100 Countdown would be on TV, and she always liked seeing whatever outrageous nonsense got put out each year. _What music video's going to cause a scandal_ this _year_?

Jian microwaved some popcorn, and, food in hand, they decided to head out to the living room. "Rong, we're about to watch the countdown!" he called.

"Hey! Not without me!" He ran out to join them.

"Wonder if Yin's still asleep," chuckled Nula.

They stepped into the living room slowly and quietly, so as not to wake her in case she was still asleep. But Jian looked at the couch, and found it empty! "Uh, guys?"

" _That's_ weird," said Rong. "Where did she go?"

And with that, they started looking. She wasn't in the bathroom or the kitchen, and she wasn't upstairs. Which meant.... "Do you think she left?"

"Without saying anything to us? I doubt it," said Nula. She looked out the open window, onto the sidewalk, and saw the shadow of what looked like a man carrying a child. Seeing it, a much worse possibility occurred to her. "Guys, I think she might have been kidnapped!"

"What do you mean? Nobody broke in," said Jian.

"Yeah, but I left the window open!" She groaned and smacked her forehead. "Fuck!"

Jian's stomach was churning. "It'll be fine." His voice was shaky. "It'll be fine. We can call the police, and they'll be _right_ on it."

So Rong went to call the police, and Nula put her shoes on. "I don't care what you say, I'm going after that guy."

"What...." said Jian.

"Come on, don't you think we should? There's a good chance the police won't get there fast enough." She got up. "Whatever, do what you want. But I'm going."

"I...." He had nothing to say to this. "Okay, I'll go with you." And with that, he threw on his shoes, and they both left.

* * *

Yin felt very small all of a sudden, and she could feel herself being held in large arms. In her dream, her father's voice was singing to her. She could almost smell the saltwater on his clothes. She felt warm and safe in his arms as he rocked her. She started to feel a cool breeze travel up her leg, and her eyes fluttered open just a little. "Wha- Daddy?" _  
_

"I'm not your father, little girl." The voice was gravelly and very much _not_ her father's.

Her eyes opened all the way. _No._ She was still feeling pretty buzzed from all those damn wine coolers. _Damn it, why did I drink so many? They were so sweet.... ugh._ "Where the hell are you taking me?"

"That's none of your concern."

She tried to wriggle out of his grasp, but he gripped her tighter. _Fuck! What do I do?_ Just then, she remembered something her mother taught her to do if somebody was trying to take her away. "You're not my dad!" she yelled from the top of her lungs. "Hel-"

The man put a hand over her mouth. Without giving it any more thought, she bit it. Briefly distracted by the pain, he pulled his hand away and shouted, "You little bitch!"

Taking advantage of the distraction, she managed to free herself and took off running. Her feet hitting the sidewalk, she tried to put as much distance between them as she could.

* * *

Jian, Rong, and Nula followed the man at a close distance. They crossed each street after him, turned every corner. They were determined not to lose sight of him, because they knew that whatever this man's intentions were, it was not going to end well for Yin.

"Guys, look, she's running from him!" whispered Rong.

And sure enough, they saw Yin, tearing down the sidewalk. "We're coming for you, girl!" called Nula.

Yin smiled when she saw them. _They're willing to chase down this big guy for_ me. The sound of Nula's voice seemed to draw the ire of this man, and he picked up his pace. _Think, think, think. Try and trap him somewhere._

In her peripheral vision, she saw an alley, and she tore down it. _It's a dead end!_ She was going to have to fight him. But could she do it in her current state?

He chuckled to himself. "Looks like you're stuck."

"Looks like _you're_ outnumbered." Jian.

Rong nodded towards her. "Let's trap him."

The man leapt at her, but before he could do anything else, the two kids managed to encase him in slabs of earth.

As they left the alley, Yin said, "Thank you guys."

"Hey, you're one of us now," said Nula. "We gotta look out for each other."

They went back to the house, and as Yin put her shoes back on, she said, "I should go now. I'm sure everybody's going to be _really_ worried."

"Well, goodbye," said Jian. And with that, they all shared a group hug.

"Good luck at the championships."

"Thanks. And we'll come out and see you one last time before you have to leave."

"Aw, that's really nice of you guys."

When she made her way back onto Air Temple Island, Maya and her mother were standing out on the porch. "Oh, thank Raava!" gasped Maya's mother, Dorji. She ran to hug Yin. "We were worried sick about you! Where were you, sweetie?"

"I was visiting a friend, and things went a little..... _sideways_." She sighed. "It's a long story."

"You look pretty banged up. Why don't you tell us inside? I'll get you some lychee juice if you like."

She smiled. _My favorite._ "Yes, please, I'd like that. Thank you."

* * *

Her friends came by to see her, as promised. But they had a different idea in mind. Jian had family in the Fire Nation, and from what he heard from them, there was quite a bit of.... _unrest_ over there currently. When he talked it over with the rest of the group, they came to the conclusion that she would need some backup.

That afternoon, they ate lunch together, and Yin introduced the three to Maya. They all seemed to be getting on pretty well. As he was finishing his food, Jian cleared his throat and brought it up. "So, um..... my grandparents over in the Fire Nation say there's some..... _stuff_ going on over there. Like, really messy political stuff."

"Oh." _How come_ I _never heard about that?_ "What _kind_ of political stuff?"

"Well, there's this group that's been talking about 'restoring the Fire Nation to its former glory' or whatever. And to do this, they want to.... get rid of the Avatar, install a new government, and..... basically take over the world. They started out pretty fringe, but now a lot of people are supporting them."

Oh, _no. Can I get even a_ moment's _peace?_ "Yikes."

"Yeah, it _is_ pretty bad. So we were thinking we could go with you, you know, to provide some help. Because it seems like you're going to have a lot to deal with."

"I.... I'd love that. Thank you."

"I want to go, too," said Maya.

"Maya...."

The look in her gray eyes was serious. "Yin, we've been friends since we were six. It's the least I can do."

"Come on, Shu," groaned Yin the next morning.

The creature still wouldn't move.

"I know, I know. You don't like to get up early. But we have to do this." She sighed.

She started into a song in hopes of getting him to get up. And slowly but surely, he did. "Hey! There we go!"

The adults said goodbye to the kids that morning. "Maya," sighed Dorji. "Are you _sure_ you'll be okay out there?"

" _Yes_ , Mom." She was getting a bit tired of her mother's worrying. "I'm not a little girl anymore."

"I know."

"Really, you don't need to worry about me."

"Well, of course I'll worry about you. I'm your mom. That's my job." She hugged her daughter.

Maya rolled her eyes a little, but couldn't resist a smile.

"Here," said Asami, handing Yin a pair of what looked like metal gloves.

"What are these?"

"Electrified gloves. That little circle in the middle gives a pretty powerful shock. You can wear them both at the same time, but... one usually does it." She smiled. "Never know when you might need them."

"Thanks."

"No problem." She patted her shoulder. "Stay safe."

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> So, I kind of figured that by this point in the timeline, the royal family wouldn't really have any political power, but they'd still, you know, exist.


	7. Out of the Frying Pan, Into the Fire

"What's taking so long?" groaned Jian. He rested his chin on the top of his bag and pouted a little.

They had landed in the Fire Nation twenty minutes earlier, but so far, no one was allowed to enter or leave the airport "until further notice". Something about this made Yin just a little uneasy. _What's out there?_

"Well, since we're here," said Maya, reaching into her bag, "anyone want a peach?"

Jian's eyes widened. "Ooh, I do!" She passed him a peach, and he bit into it.

"I'm tired," said Bo. "And I'm sick of just sitting here! This is getting boring! I mean, what's all the fuss about, anyways? If somebody's really out there to get us, we could all take them in a fight."

"Uh.... are we sure about that?" said Yin, her stomach churning.

"Um, _yeah_." She chuckled a little. "You know, for the Avatar, you're pretty wishy-washy."

 _I'll show_ you _who's wishy-washy._ "I am _not._...."

She was interrupted by the intercom. "Ladies and gentlemen, it is once again safe to leave the airport, and all flights will resume as normal. We sincerely apologize for any inconveniences we may have caused."

"Al _right_!" exclaimed Bo. She turned to her sister. "See? It was nothing!"

"Well....."

" _Now_ we just have to wait for Aki to get here."

"Who's Aki?" asked Rong.

"The princess."

Jian gasped. "You guys know the royal family?!"

Nula giggled. "Of _course_ they do, you doofus."

"This is _amaaazing_ ," he trilled.

"Hey," said a low female voice.

They looked up. The speaker was a young woman with blunt bangs and sunglasses. She wore a tight red top and black pants. "Princess Aki," gasped Jian.

"That's the name, don't wear it out." She chuckled a little. "Alright. Yin and company. Let's roll out before things get heated again."

"'Again'?" asked Yin. "What's going on?"

"Some Phoenix King dipshits were having a rally, and things got a little violent, so the police had to get involved." She rolled her eyes. "Ridiculous."

Yin knew that the "Phoenix King" was what Fire Lord Ozai had called himself. "Phoenix King.... do they have anything to do with Ozai?"

"Yep. They worship that guy."

They walked out into the warm, thick air, and Aki waved towards a black limousine. "It's really hot out," remarked Maya, taking off her jacket.

"Hm. Wild idea, but.... maybe it's because we're in the _Fire_ Nation?" said Nula.

Aki looked towards her. "Oh, yeah, you should _not_ have worn that jacket."

Bags in hand, they climbed into the limousine. It was a shocking contrast, from the thick, muggy outside to the air conditioning-induced cold of the car. The seats were smooth, red leather, and the space was roomy and open. Yin had never seen anything like it. "Rad!" she heard her sister say.

"So," said Aki as the limo drove off. "I know you, and you-" She pointed to Yin and Bo. "But I don't know the rest of you."

So the other kids introduced themselves. She grinned. "I take it this is Team Avatar?"

"Yeah."

Yin looked out the window at the city rushing past her. The capital sure was beautiful. Old, ornate pagodas gave way to skyscrapers. There wasn't a cloud in the sky today. The driver turned onto the road going up the mountain and into the Caldera, and she felt her stomach lurch a little. _This is pretty_ steep.....

"Yin? What's going on?" asked Aki. "Sick?"

"No."

"Scared?"

"A- a little."

The woman chuckled. "Everybody is, the first time they go on this road. Think we're going to fall?"

" _Maybe_."

"Well, we're not. Don't worry."

Once they'd made their way into the Caldera, now _everybody_ was looking out the window. They drove by a glittering lake, buildings both old and new. Everything here was orderly, precise.

The limousine pulled up to the front of the palace, and the driver let everyone out. "Now that's what _I_ call traveling in style," laughed Rong.

Yin reached for her bag, but the valet got to it before she did. "Oh...."

"Please, miss. Let me get that for you."

She'd never been waited on before. It was a strange feeling. _This will take some getting used to._

"My dad's in a meeting right now," said Aki. "I can show you guys around."

So she proceeded to show them all the different rooms. The library, with the largest array of books and scrolls Yin had ever seen in one place. The armory. She recognized the skull helmets from the Hundred Year War. The throne room. "Whoa," said Maya. "Hey, wait, the sound echoes!"

"Let me try," said Jian. He turned towards the ceiling. "Hello?"

The two proceeded to call out and make various sounds to hear the echoes. Nula shook her head at them. "You two are goofballs."

Aki led them into the royal gallery, and they peered up at the larger-than-life portraits. As they passed by one of them, she said, "That's Fire Lord Azulon. He was directly responsible for the destruction of the Southern Water Tribe. They still haven't totally recovered from that."

She cleared her throat. "He was said to be pretty healthy well into his nineties, but died at ninety-five under 'mysterious circumstances'." She put air quotes around the last phrase.

The next portrait was Fire Lord Ozai. "Shortest reign in history. But during that time, the entire Earth Kingdom fell under Fire Nation control. The Avatar defeated him, yadda yadda yadda, and he went on to die in prison, alone, at age fifty-four."

"It's Fire Lord Zuko!" gasped Jian at the next portrait.

"Yep." Aki tilted her head and smiled a little. "When I was a kid, I said I was going to be like him."

"How long did _he_ live?" asked Bo.

"105."

" _Wow_."

There was Fire Lord Izumi, known for her calm-but-firm nature, and for keeping the Fire Nation (mostly) neutral in conflicts. She died at eighty-five, presumably from grief. She'd lost her father and her husband in the span of five years. "I always thought it was weird, to die from grief. But I guess when you've lost almost everybody, you may as well just call it quits, you know?"

Fire Lord Iroh had been careful and deliberate, like his mother. Despite that, though, there _had_ been a few localized conflicts under his reign. When he got too old, he abdicated the throne for his son. "He died when I was little. I don't remember a whole lot about him."

"Well, hello." A male voice. They turned around to see the current Fire Lord, Lu Ten. He had the same piercing golden eyes as his daughter, and his hair, in the typical topknot, was starting to go gray. "Aki. Airing our family's dirty laundry?"

"Yes, Dad."

He chuckled a little. "I taught you well." He turned to the others. "Yin! You've grown so much. I can remember when you were little. Now you're...." He tried to remember. "Fifteen, is it?"

"Sixteen, actually. I had my birthday a few months ago." She felt a bit of an edge, saying that.

"And who might these four be?"

The rest of the group introduced themselves. Jian still couldn't get over the fact that he was meeting the _Fire Lord._ The fluttery feeling in his stomach intensified.

Once the kids had settled in, the Fire Lord walked in with a girl who looked to be about Yin's age, or maybe a bit older. She had a small pouch strapped to her waist. "This is Senzu. She'll be in charge of protecting you while you're here."

"Sir, with all due respect, I don't think we'll need protection," said Nula.

"Oh, it's just a precaution, considering all that's been happening lately."

Senzu didn't really talk to them, just sat in her seat. What _would_ she say to them, anyway? Yin was the Avatar. She was just a glorified bodyguard. "Hey," said Yin.

"Hi."

"I'm Yin. That's my sister Bo" -she pointed to her sister- "and these here are my friends." She pointed to each of them. "Maya, Nula, Jian, Rong."

Why was she trying to be friendly with her? "Nice to meet you." She quickly looked down.

"Okay," said Jian. "So what's the first thing we should do while we're here?"

"Oooh! I want to go exploring!" squealed Maya.

So that afternoon, they went out, with Aki and Senzu. Maya insisted they all ride on Shu, even if it was a struggle to fit everyone on top of him. Senzu grimaced a little. What was this creature? How was she to know it wouldn't knock everyone off of it? "I'll just walk."

They caused quite a stir, passing through all the different neighborhoods on a badgermole. They'd stop occasionally to look into a shop window or two, or grab some street food. "I have to admit," said Maya, her face red from a few mouthfuls of fire flakes, "this Fire Nation food will take a bit of getting used to."

Aki laughed a little. "It's an acquired taste."

As they kept walking, though, they saw a crowd gathering in the street. When they got closer, Yin noticed that they were carrying signs with the slogan "Power. Prosperity. Glory." Aki rolled her eyes. "Not _this_ again. I swear...."

"Is that the same people who were holding us up at the airport?" asked Bo.

"Yep." She sighed. "But as long as they don't get violent, we don't have anything to worry about."

Just then, Jian felt himself being grabbed very roughly, and a bag being pulled over his head. _What's happening?_ He tried to yell, but the material muffled his voice.

"Okay, everybody, let's stay together," said Aki. She turned around and counted everyone. "Wait a minute, where are Jian and Bo?"

Yin turned around and, sure enough, she didn't see them. But she _did_ see two people in masks skulking away. "Something isn't right. I'm going after them."

"Good call. I'm going with you," said Nula.

Aki looked around and, sure enough, everyone was glaring at them. It was almost eerily silent. Senzu almost instinctively reached for her knives. "Everyone's onto us. You two go, we'll hold them off."

Yin and Nula nodded and ran off. The remaining four looked out at the crowd. _Well, nobody's coming towards us yet...._ thought Senzu. 

Just then, in her peripheral vision, she saw a figure in black racing towards them. Without thinking about it, she reached into her bag and threw a few of her knives. The blades pierced through his clothes and pinned him to the wall of a nearby building.

Yin and Nula managed to follow the kidnappers across several blocks. _If anything happens to Bo, I don't know_ what _I'll do,_ thought Yin. Just then, they turned down an alley, and down a flight of stairs. Descending the stairs, they walked into a cool, dark room.

The bags were lifted from Jian and Bo's heads. "Now," said a smooth male voice. "There's one question I need you to answer. Which one of your little entourage is the Avatar?"

They looked up. They couldn't see the bottom of the speaker's face, but he had glasses and piercing eyes. "Why would we tell you?" snapped Bo.

The girl next to him held up two fingers, and lightning started to crackle from them. Jian's heart skipped a beat. _Is she going to kill us?!_ "Okay, okay, we'll tell you what you need to know!"

"Jian, are you _nuts_?" hissed Bo.

"She's gonna kill us!" he hissed back.

"Very well, then," said the man. The girl put her hand down. "Now. Who is it?"

 _I don't want to die.... but I can't sell out Yin._ "It's..... it's me."

"Hmmm...." He let out a low, three-note chuckle. "I don't know if I believe you."

"What do you mean? Of _course_ I'm the Avatar. Master of all four elements, and all that jazz." He attempted a smile despite his roiling nerves.

"The current Avatar would have to be from the Earth Kingdom. You don't look it. In fact, you look like you were born and bred right here. Now I advise you stop playing games with me and tell me the truth."

"Hey." Nula's voice. They all turned around. "Looking for somebody?"

"Yin! Nula! Thank goodness!" gasped Jian.

The black-clad figures ran at them. Yin's heart was racing, and she could feel herself starting to sweat. But she knew she had to push that fear aside. Nula pulled out her pouch of water and managed to knock one of them back. 

Facing off against five very angry firebenders was no easy task. For quite a while, the girls mostly dodged the incoming flames. A short girl with sunglasses shot out a flame dangerously close to Yin's face, and she bent back and ducked under it. Thinking fast, she brought up a large chunk of concrete and chucked it at the girl. Once she was on the ground, Nula was quick to surround her with water and freeze it, leaving her trapped in ice.

They did this with the remaining firebenders. Trapped in ice, the bespectacled man glared at them. "Don't get too comfortable, _ladies._ This isn't the last you'll see of us."

Nula rolled her eyes. "Yeah, yeah. That's what they all say." And with that, she and Yin went over to untie their two friends. 

"Wow, guys, that was _crazy_!" said Bo. "I mean, Yin, you were just knocking them all out, and Nula?..... I don't even know what to _say_! The way you froze those guys? Man, I thought you were great in the pro-bending arena, but that was _awesome_!"

"She's great with ice," said Jian. "Almost got us disqualified once for using it."

Back on the street, they caught up with the rest of the group. "Took you long enough!" panted Aki. She looked over her shoulder. "I think we got a few hundred feet between us and them."

Yin looked at the other four. They all had a good deal of scratches on them. "What _happened_?"

"We tried to hold them off, but...." She shook her head. "It was, like, ten, fifteen people coming at us at once."

As they got back on Shu, she asked, "I don't get it. What do these people want with us?"

"Word must have gotten out somehow that you were here, and they're trying to get to you."

Her heart started to sink, and her mouth went dry. _Oh, no._ Her sister must have seen the look on her face, because she said, "Well, on the bright side, I don't think they know what you look like."

"Still, this is really, _really_ bad," she groaned. "I have to hurry up and learn firebending now or else I'll have no chance against them."

"Well, I'd be more than happy to teach you," said Aki.

* * *

When Senzu got home that night, the relief that her shift was over nearly outweighed the dread she felt when she was home. She quickly changed clothes, then reluctantly joined her family for dinner.

"Senzu?" asked her father. "The Avatar arrived today, correct?"

"Yes, sir."

"Have you found out what her plans are here?"

"No, sir." She swallowed hard. 

He crossed his arms and frowned. "Your job was to watch her at all times. I worry that you don't understand how important this is."

"No, sir, I do understand."

"Well, act like it. The fate of our country depends on it." He turned to her sister. "Now, Ayane. How are you doing in your studies?"

While her older sister answered, Senzu just picked at her food and let her thoughts wander. _What is the point of this, anyways? He's just going to undo all the progress of the last century or so and create chaos. But if I say that...._

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> This took REALLY long to write. Sometimes, I worry that I bit off more than I could chew with this story, but... enjoy!


End file.
